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Asus RT-AC86U Gaming Router

9,2/10 (80 reviews)
View all accessories
ASUS routers
Asus RT-AC86U Gaming Router

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Ethernet speed
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View full comparison

Product information

Key specs

Ethernet speed
Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps)
Frequency bands
Dual-band
Type router
Gaming router, WiFi router
WiFi speed
AC3000
Number of stations
1
View all specifications

Pros and cons

According to our router expert
  • With a speed of 2,167Mbps on the 5GHz frequency band, this access point is faster than similar access points.
  • This router supports MU-MIMO, which ensures a more stable wireless connection.
  • This router features AiMesh, which allows you to link multiple Asus Routers to create a multi-room WiFi network.
  • This router only supports WiFi 5, so your wireless internet is less stable than with WiFi 6 if you're online with many devices at the same time.
  • You can't mount this router on a wall.
  • Depending on the size of your house, this router offers coverage on 1 or 2 floors, so choose multi-room WiFi for WiFi throughout your home.
Product Expert routers

Description

The Asus RT-AC86U is a router for gaming fanatics. This router prioritizes your favorite games over all other network traffic, so you can game without lag. Do you prefer to watch movies in 4K? Easily prioritize video streams with Quality of Service, preventing your images from freezing. MU-MIMO technology provides each device with its own dedicated connection to the router. Combined with its fast Dual-Core processor, it has no problem connecting a lot of devices at the same time. To create a multi-room WiFi network, link multiple routers using AiMesh. This way, you can create a super fast WiFi network with a large range. Thanks to AiProtection, you can protect your home network against viruses and hackers.

The Asus RT-AC86U is a router for gaming fanatics. This router prioritizes your favorite games over all other network traffic, so you can game without lag. Do you prefer to watch movies in 4K? Easily prioritize video streams with Quality of Service, preventing your images from freezing. MU-MIMO technology provides each device with its own dedicated connection to the router. Combined with its fast Dual-Core processor, it has no problem connecting a lot of devices at the same time. To create a multi-room WiFi network, link multiple routers using AiMesh. This way, you can create a super fast WiFi network with a large range. Thanks to AiProtection, you can protect your home network against viruses and hackers.

Tips for using this product

Tips for using this product

Read our tips and find out all about how to set up your product and use it the right way.

View all support

Included by default

  • Manual (2.77 MB)
  • Network cable
  • Power adapter

Included by default

  • Manual (2.77 MB)
  • Network cable
  • Power adapter

Key specs

Ethernet speed
Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps)
Frequency bands
Dual-band
Type router
Gaming router, WiFi router
WiFi speed
AC3000
Number of stations
1
View all specifications

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Reviews

80 reviews
9,2/10 (80 reviews)

Rating

52 reviews with 5 stars

27 reviews with 4 stars

1 reviews with 3 stars

0 reviews with 2 stars

0 reviews with 1 star

Rating per section

Range
10,0
Installation ease
7,0
Speed
10,0
Design
8,0

Customer images

Most helpful reviews

10/10

Ideal for using an OpenVPN client in the router itself

  • Speed at VPN connection
  • Advanced WebProtection for all connected devices via built-in 'Trend Micro' software
  • Vertical design => no wall mounting possible
  • Rene d.
  • 8 November 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

Fast device that can be tweaked to everyone's wishes.

  • Fast CPU
  • Lots to set up with Merlin firmware
  • Default firmware is not stable
  • Willem neyt
  • 15 March 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

ASUS shines again with its AC86U Gaming Router!

  • Good Build Quality!
  • Wifi range on 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz
  • The red accents of the housing may not be to everyone's taste if it is visible.
  • Jason
  • 5 August 2019
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
10/10

Router with the best price/quality ratio on the market!

  • Quickly set up and many settings possible
  • Making mesh network possible afterwards
  • Patrick kerkhoff
  • 17 April 2019
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
9,6/10

A powerhouse in all areas.

  • Adaptive Quality of Service (LAN Boost).
  • Wifi range is great.
  • Can only put it one way.
  • Dave van slingerland
  • 23 November 2017
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

fast router with good security

  • speed and ease of installation
  • LEDs on the front can be turned off
  • standard firmware has security flaws
  • Roger
  • 31 January 2019
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
9,2/10

Best all-round powerhouse for use with VPN too.

  • Very good range
  • Full speed via openVPN
  • Price but worth it
  • Bvg
  • 12 August 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

Very good router

  • Speed
  • Range
  • design
  • N.l. van rijn
  • 24 December 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
10/10

Recommended!

  • Fast
  • Stable
  • Willem
  • 3 May 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

Buy quickly before this model is phased out.

  • Good price quality ratio.
  • There is a firmware variant called Merlin that also makes OpenVPN available. And a few more features. Very good.
  • Make sure you write down your port number 8443 before you turn on https.
  • Eddie smit
  • 23 November 2019
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
10/10

Ideal for using an OpenVPN client in the router itself

  • Speed at VPN connection
  • Advanced WebProtection for all connected devices via built-in 'Trend Micro' software
  • Small footprint (due to vertical design)
  • Vertical design => no wall mounting possible

Previously used a TP-Link router 'Archer C7 v2.0'.
That was an AC1750 dual band wireless router that worked almost flawlessly for 3 years 'ctu on'.
For my VPN connection to NordVPN
however, I was now looking for a router that had a built-in OpenVPN client.
This would allow all my network devices
could use the NordVPN connection through my router
without the need to install separate software on these devices.

Finally opted for Asus
because their router firmware 'AsusWRT' is based on Tomato.
The open source Tomato router fw is widely recognized
as being more comprehensive and also somewhat more stable than the open source router fw DD-WRT.

Then there was still the choice between the Asus routers RT-AC88U and the more recent RT-AC86U.
Strange naming at Asus since a lower number here is a more recent device?!
To mislead even more, the more recent 86U is a lot cheaper than the older 88U!

Finally opted for the RT-AC86U
due to the spectacular speed difference (compared to 88U, up to 3x faster!)
when using the NordVPN VPN connection.
Download (via vpn client enabled in router):
- between 100 and 190 Mbps (average: 150 Mbps)
Upload (via vpn client enabled in router):
- between 37 and 40 Mbps

Immediately after installation,
upgraded the supplied 'AsusWRT' firmware
to the 'AsusWRT-Merlin' firmware 384.6.
(see: https://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/)
Device is now already 43 days ctu on without problems.

RT-AC86U:
- Router is VERTICAL and can NOT be mounted on the wall!
An advantage of this vertical design is the small footprint of this device.
Approximate dimensions:
WxDxH: 22 x 8.5 x 16cm (without the 3 antennas)
WxDxH: 22 x 8.5 x 32cm (with the 3 antennas completely vertical)
- 1.8GHz dual core / 512MB DDR3 RAM / 256MB flash
- CPU has a hardware encryption/decryption engine !
(making throughput up to 2x faster than an 88U!)
- 4 network ports
- 3 external antennas + 1 internal antenna
- possibility to turn LAN port-1 into 2nd WAN port
(also present at the 88U)
(However, this feature does not appear to work flawlessly; not even with the 88U by the way)
- 2.4GHz would give a slightly worse range than an 88U (source: internet reviews)
- 5GHz equivalent to 88U (source: internet reviews)
- AiMesh feature of connecting multiple Asus routers so that 1 WiFi network is created.
(However, this feature is disabled with the 'AsusWRT-Merlin' firmware I use;
turns out that this AiMesh feature in Asus routers doesn't work very well)
- Consumption (idle): 7.3 W
Consumption (transmitting, 3 laptops at the same time): 11.2 W

RT-AC88U:
(for comparison)
- 'normal' router design, i.e. horizontal placement with wall mounting option
Approximate dimensions:
WxDxH: 30 x 19 x 6cm (without the 4 antennas)
WxDxH: 40 x 24 x 20cm (WITH antennas; all completely vertical)
- 1.4GHz dual core / 512MB DDR3 RAM / 128MB flash
- 8 network ports
- 4 external antennas
- LAN ports 1 and 2 can be linked to provide a 2Gbps connection
(not present 'I think' at the 86U)
- possibility to turn LAN port-1 into 2nd WAN port
(also present at the 86U)
(this feature does not seem to work flawlessly, not even with the 86U by the way)
- 2.4GHz would give slightly better range than an 86U (source: internet reviews)
- 5GHz equivalent to 86U (source: internet reviews)
- AiMesh feature of connecting multiple Asus routers so that 1 WiFi network is created.
(But turns out this AiMesh feature in Asus routers doesn't work very well! :( )
- Consumption (idle): 12.7 W
Consumption (transmitting, 3 laptops at the same time): 15.6 W
.

  • Rene d.
  • 8 November 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

Fast device that can be tweaked to everyone's wishes.

  • Fast CPU
  • Lots to set up with Merlin firmware
  • VPN server and client
  • Default firmware is not stable

The device is widely adjustable. It is best to download and install the Merlin firmware.
I use a VPN service and this device with its fast CPU is ideal for that. No more clients on the PCs.

  • Willem neyt
  • 15 March 2018
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
8,8/10

ASUS shines again with its AC86U Gaming Router!

  • Good Build Quality!
  • Wifi range on 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz
  • AiProtection - Built-in Internet Threat Security Software
  • The red accents of the housing may not be to everyone's taste if it is visible.

The purchase of this ASUS AC86U is to replace a previous generation ASUS router, namely the AC66U.

The ASUS AC86U is quite an improvement compared to the AC66U.

The housing of the router again feels solid. It is black with LED indicator lights on the front. The red accents on the front emphasize the gamers line from ASUS.

The installation of the ASUS AC86U is very simple, just like the AC66U. The antennas must be tightened to the router, the necessary network cables connected and the router must be supplied with power. After that, you can go through the user-friendly setup wizard to set up the basic functionalities of the router. The advanced user can easily familiarize themselves with the user-friendly interface provided by ASUS. It also responds a lot faster than the older AC66U.

The first thing you notice is the wireless range. Previously, the wireless connection with us went out when people walked out of the house or walked into the garden. With the ASUS AC86U, that's a thing of the past. 5 meters outdoors and in the garden we still have range via the 2.4Ghz frequency. The router is placed in the most favorable place in the house, namely; the middle floor. one now has both upstairs and downstairs connection on the 5Ghz frequency indoors.

That was not possible with the AC66U on 5Ghz. My PC is also equipped with a PCE-AC88 adapter for optimal speed in combination with. the AC86U. This gives me a more stable connection, which is noticeable while gaming. For example, there is little 'lag/delay' and I get to see all graphic elements (which is sometimes missing with a bad WiFi connection).

In addition, this router is equipped with built-in security software. ASUS calls this functionality AiProtection. This will automatically block many (not all) Internet threats. I've had this turned on for a while now and in the log you see a lot of internet threats that have been averted. These are all automatic processes that reside on the Internet. So everyone has to deal with it. So it's functionality that, after seeing the logs, I really appreciate it!

The ASUS AC86U also features AiMesh functionality. This allows the router to be used in the future to increase wireless coverage if one is going to invest in a new ASUS router (which must also be equipped with AiMesh). This gives the router a second life, should it come to the point where it is replaced by a newer one and still functions. This is something the future will show if I decide to connect a 2nd router that is AiMesh compatible.

With devices that support the MU-MIMO functionality, the router can handle devices at the same time. This means that all MU-MIMO devices can send and receive data at the same time. Instead of each device having to wait its turn (the average user won't notice). In our area there are several smartphones, laptops and a PC connected wirelessly. So far everything works stable and there is no noticeable delay. Not even during our peak hours (evening).

All in all I am very satisfied with this purchase! The router is faster, the WiFi range (for us) greatly improved and the AiProtection is a great asset to the security of the network!

The router is promoted as a gaming router, but I highly recommend it to the non-gamers too!

The ASUS AC86U is a Super Router!

  • Jason
  • 5 August 2019
  • Automatically translated from Dutch
View all 80 reviews

Insure your router

You can select one of the Backup Plans below in your shopping cart. It will protect your brand new router against damage and/or theft.

Asus RT-AC86U Gaming Router
  • 3-year Backup Plan
    22,99 one-time payment
  • 5-year Backup Plan
    39,99 one-time payment

Specifications

Product

Product number
794924
Manufacturer code
90IG0401-BU9000
Brand
ASUS
Warranty
3 years
Processing of your defect
Via Coolblue
Old product returned for free
Yes

General properties

Type router
Gaming router, WiFi router
WiFi speed class
Basic
Usage situation
Stream movies and music, Study at home, Work from home
Living situation
Small apartment, Student room
Number of stations
1
Can be expanded with extra stations
No
Built-in modem
No

Wireless network properties

Frequency bands
Dual-band
WiFi speed
AC3000
2.4GHz band speed
750 Mbit/s
5GHz band speed
2167 Mbit/s
Number of WiFi antennas
3
Antenna connection type
Without connector
Jumbo frame support
No

Wired network properties

Ethernet speed
Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps)
Network connector
Yes
Number of Ethernet ports
4
WAN ports
1
PoE support
No
USB port
Yes
Type of USB port
Standard USB-A
Number of USB ports
2

Mobile internet properties

Automatically switches to 3G/4G
Yes
SIM card slot
No

Performance properties

Quality of Service (QoS)
Yes
MU-MIMMO
Yes
Seamless roaming
No
Beamforming
Yes
Port forwarding
Yes
LACP Link aggregation
Yes

Network security properties

Parental controls
Yes
WLAN security
WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK
Firewall
Yes
Firewall type
NAT Firewall, SPI Firewall
Guest network
Yes
VPN support
Yes
VPN server
Yes
VPN client
Yes
VPN passthrough
Yes

Physical properties

Mounting possible
No
Width
22,1 cm
Height
16 cm
Depth
8,4 cm
Weight
862 g
Color
Black, Red
Material
Plastic

Storage capacity

Memory card reader
No

Power supply

Power supply type
Power grid

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